City’s Leila Ouahabi started the game and played for 61 minutes before being replaced, while Laia Aleixandri climbed off the bench to play the final half-hour.
Finland stunned Spain with a goal from Linda Sallstrom after just 49 seconds – a lead they held on to for 26 minutes, until La Roja skipper Irene Paredes powered a header home from Mariona Caldentey’s corner.
It had been coming.
Ouahabi fired a shot wide four minutes later as Spain started to turn the screw, and the Finns held on until four minutes before the break when Aitana Bonmati headed home Mapi Leon’s cross to make it 2-1.
Finland proved dogged opposition and remained in the game until another superb cross from Leon found the head of Lucia Garcia on 75 minutes to finally kill off the challenge of the Scandinavians.
In front of 16,189 fans at the Stadium MK, Spain wrapped up victory in added time with a Mariona Caldentey penalty making it 4-1 and giving the scoreline a more realistic look given the Spanish dominance.
What will be particularly pleasing for City fans was the classy 30-minute cameo from Aleixandri, who upped the Spaniards’ tenor and made a telling difference in her time on the pitch.
